SPELLBOUND by Robbins Burling ( 9781781791318 ) - Books & Audio Books at Pickabook.co.uk

Item Details

Title:

SPELLBOUND
UNTANGLING ENGLISH SPELLING

By:

Robbins Burling

Format:

Paperback

List price:

£24.95

Our price:

£22.46

Discount:

10% off

You save:

£2.49

ISBN 10:

1781791317

ISBN 13:

9781781791318

Availability:

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Stock:

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Publisher:

EQUINOX PUBLISHING LTD

Pub. date:

1 January, 2015

Pages:

186

Description:

This book has two parts. The first six chapters are relatively general. They review the history of English spelling and the reasons for the many irregularities of our modern language. The second part of the book is more technical. The criteria that should govern the choice among alternative reforms are described with care.

Synopsis:

Spellbound considers the history of English spelling and provides suggestions for modern day reform of its irregularities.The first half of the book reviews the history of English spelling and the reasons for the many irregularities of our modern language. The author argues that the irregular spelling of English contributes seriously to the high rate of illiteracy in the English speaking world. He then reviews some of the many attempts to reform the spelling of other languages, some of which were successful and others not. During the first half of the 20th century there was a flurry of interest in reforms for English but since then reform has been little more than the object of humor. Spellbound considers the reasons for this opposition to reform. The book then turns to current proposals for the reform of English. It describes the criteria that should govern the choice among alternative reforms and considers in detail the relatively easily reformed consonants and the much more difficult vowels. Special attention is given to ways of designing a spelling that is equally suitable for the many and diverse dialects of spoken English.While the author recognises that a unified spelling could not be perfect for any single dialect, he argues that it could be very much better than our present spelling for all dialects.Spellbound concludes by looking at possible ways by which reforms might be brought about today.

Illustrations:

8 figures

Publication:

Imprint:

Equinox Publishing Ltd

Returns:

Returnable

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